Madrid, Spain, Nov 11, 2005 / 12:00 am (CNA).- According to a report published by the AVAN news agency, a home for troubled young people in Caracas, called “City of Hope,” has led to a 90% drop in violence in the suburbs of the Venezuelan capital.

Father Antonio Maria Zubia, collaborator at the home, said Francisco and Pilar Bolinches of Spain, who came up with the idea to found a home for troubled youngsters as a religious apostolate, founded the “City of Hope”.

Since its founding in 2002, the City of Hope has helped more than 1,000 young people. According to Father Zubia, thanks to the “moral and economic support of many Spaniards and Venezuelans,” the “crime index” has fallen drastically, sparking vast interest in the initiative.

The Spanish couple’s twelve children assist them in organizing missionary activities, educational classes for parents, orientation for university students and tutoring for adolescents.